The Tech Writer Highlight - Abhinav Upadhyay
Abhinav is writing Confessions of a Code Addict where he talks about technical topics all over the Computer Science field.
Hello, tech writers and readers. In this edition of the Tech Writer Highlight, we talk to
, author of , a newsletter about programming, AI, networking, and many other technical topics in Computer Science.First, tell us a bit about yourself. Who are you? What is your day job?
My name is Abhinav Upadhyay, and I'm from India. I am a software engineer by profession, and over the last 12 years, I've worked for various companies in different roles, ranging from DevOps to backend engineering and ML engineering.
I've also contributed to various open-source projects, including Ubuntu, Debian, and NetBSD. My relationship with NetBSD has been long; I first worked for them as a student in 2012 as part of the Google Summer of Code and, some years later, became a developer for the project. I've also presented some of my work at conferences worldwide, including AsiaBSDCon (Tokyo) and EuroBSDCon (Paris and Belgrade).
What are your professional interests?
I've always had a keen interest in understanding how computers work and how I can program them. This fascination led me toward a computer science degree. Interestingly, after finishing my degree, I felt I had only scratched the surface, and there's so much more to learn and understand in this field.
As a result, my professional interests are wide and varied. Broadly speaking, I like to read and explore topics related to systems programming, compilers, database internals, operating systems, and AI/ML.
Now tell us about
. What is it about? What topics do you cover? Who is your intended audience?I started my Substack newsletter in April 2023. As I mentioned, I have a wide range of interests in computer science, so the topics I cover vary. I have been writing a lot about AI recently because exciting papers are published weekly.
However, I have upcoming content on distributed systems, data compression, algorithms, and programming in general. If you haven't read my work, I like to cover topics with interesting applications and explain them in simplified terms with hands-on code examples, allowing the readers to explore the concepts independently.
My audience consists of other software developers like me who want to
continuously improve their skills and knowledge and be on the cutting
edge of what's happening in the computer science world.
How, when, and why did you begin writing about technical topics on the Internet?
I've been writing for a long time; I started a blog in college in 2007 and wrote there on and off for the next 15 years. The feedback on my writing has always been positive, which has kept me going for so long. Explaining technical concepts through writing is not easy; it takes a significant time investment, but when someone tells you they benefited from your writing, it makes all the effort worth it.
What role does technical writing play in your job and life?
Technical writing has played a very important role in my career. Writing as a skill is not emphasized in a typical computer science program, and no one tells you this. However, as you grow in your career in the software industry, your communication skills come in very handy.
You must draft design documents, emails to clients or your team, blogs for your company, and documentation for the code you write, among many other things. This may not be the most glamorous part of the job, but it's a necessary evil, and if you are good at it, you will grow very fast.
How is your writing process? How do you organize your writing schedule? How much time does writing take you, on average?
I don't have a very rigid process. I tend to have a few ideas in the pipeline that I want to cover. I pick one of those, start doing some background research, and develop code examples or projects that I can include along with the writing. Next, I start writing.
I usually don't start with an outline. I typically begin writing and follow the flow of my thoughts to dictate the outline. This allows me to be more fluid with my writing. In the first draft, I pour down the thoughts and revisit, rearrange, and rewrite parts. Many people like to start with an outline, and I have tried that approach, but it doesn't work for me when explaining complicated topics.
What kind of advice could you give people considering or getting started with technical writing?
I think the most important part is to take the plunge and start writing. Begin with simple topics, and as you write more and more, you will learn more about your voice and get better at it. The other piece of advice is to read more; read other blogs, books, and papers. Reading subconsciously trains your writing muscles; you will learn and pick things from others' writing and incorporate them into your style as you read more.
Any closing words you’d like to share with the readers of The Tech Writers Stack?
I would just like to say to keep reading and supporting The Tech Writers Stack. Read and share their work; it helps the whole community and comes back to us in multiple ways.
This was The Tech Writer Highlight, a section of the Tech Writers Stack where we recommend new and seasoned writers. Leave a comment or question for
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Abhinav, I love the title "Confessions of a Code Addict."
And, of course, I always enjoy these "get to know you" pieces from the Tech Writers Stack. Great job, all!